Transcription of 5 June - 30 June 1944 of DPMM's diary: [] Indicates added explanation
As a secondary school English teacher - he was a keen reader.

Captain D P M Michael; RAOC [Royal Army Ordnance Corps]

5 June 1944

Moving down the Thames estuary. Off Southend. Breakfast 8.30am. Emergency Stations, etc. Reading Bernard Newman "Second Front - First Spy". Lunch, 1pm. Reading Bernard Newton & dozing. Dinner 7pm. Bagpipes of the H.D. Bridge with Hugh against Hammond & Hall (231 Pet.). lost. Reading "King John"

6 June 1944

Breakfast 8am. C Deck 5. Finished reading "King John". Boat stations 10am. Moving out of boom down Kentish coast. 10 bars of chocolate. Ethel Mannin "Confessions and Impressions". Lunch. Finished reading Ethel Mannin. Off Dover, protected by a smoke-screen to our South. Bridge - Hugh, Hammond & Hall. Reading Boswell.
Landings in Normandy early this morning. No news on board owing to wireless silence!
(added later: Warren Tute "D Day" Sidgwick & Jackson 1974 - JUNO assaults Gen Crerar's 3rd Canadian Div. Juno beaches either side of Courseulles, Love, Mike!). [see here and here ]

7 June 1944

Portsmouth harbour. Up 7.30. Brkfst 8. B.B.C. - news of landings. Maps sorted out. Boat drill. Library. Negley Farson "Way of a Transgressor". Lunch. Reading in bed. Sleep. Tea, 4pm. Strategic packing of rucksack. Dinner. "Briefing"- men - maps, etc. Packing completed. Diary. Bridge postponed. Sailed from Portsmouth at midnight.
Handy[Handover] & Mottershead[Mottie] & 33ers land.

8 June 1944 [D+2 days]

Reveille 4.30 am., Brkfst 5am. No sign of land for hours! Reading Negly Farson most of morning. Lunch. Off Normandy. A sea of ships. Off Trouville. The Warspite & others pumping shells inland. Played bridge! Tea at 4. Left Worcestershire in A.L.C. [Assault Landing Craft] about 4.30. Landed Mike Beach (Juno added later). Met Unit guides. Marched to Star-Masefield Area thro' Graye-sur-Mer. Linked up with Handover party. New cook, Boyce. Digging in & 24 hour ration. Heavy air raid. Snipers about.
[Worcestershire was 11402 BRT Bibby Passenger/Cargo ship used by MoWT as Troop Transport after use as an armed merchant cruiser until 1943; see here, here and here ]
[Graye-sur-Mer: SW part of Courseulles]

9 June 1944 [D+3 days]
at top of page: Stores Sect. 13 Technical RSD G1098 Brown - Pers. Assist

Handover to 102 Sub-Area, stooging for Major Baker. Brown to Stores 14/15 OBD. Marched from Masefield via Graye-sur-Mer and Courseulles to 14/15 OBD Ammu. & Stores Dumps. Bob Calvert, 45 O.A.C. also assisting. Recce for "bivvy" area. Settling in German strong point. Field postcard to M.[wife] and Ma + Pa.
15 O.B.D. - Major Clark, Bob (Lt) Blackley
14 O.B.D. - Bob Borwell;
45 O.A.C. - Fielden + Michelle
Met R.A.F. "Nick" Calter.
3 tonner along beach - lateral road between Courseulles & Bernières in search of ammu. and stores. Planning East Depot to receive Fd. Arty. initially. Heavy raid.
[Bernières E of Courseulles]

10 June 1944

"Borrowed" para-troop folding bike. 15 Amm, H.Q. - "Paddy" Thompson (?11 OBD) & others killed. Recce - Anti Tank Lines. 102 Sub-Area. Handover. Q - re bulldozer & mine detector pty. Lunch. Jeep & 15 cwt arr. Further recce of dump. At work with bulldozer. Too late for meal - using own 24-hr ration. Bob Calvert up to billet area. Night almost free of raids, but left-flank reported weak!

11 June 1944

Labour difficulties. Conference - 225 and 12 DPC Berks Infy. Recce for Depot Areas - Bob Calvert, Michelle + Fielden. Stuff coming in thick and fast - preponderance Tank and Anti-tank. 70 lorries and ducks at about 8pm. 15 OBD.-checkers out in area - drew them into pool of checkers & labours. 2000 tons recd. during day. With Borwell around Dump. Jeep to Bernières for diesel oil. Break down. Back via Courseulles to Camp. Letters from M.
9 OBD - 70 Arty & AA
15 OBD - Infty & Hy & Med Arty
45 OAC - A/R & R.E.
14 OBD - Issues

12 June 1944

Depot 9am. 3 shift system in operation (8 men on each)
(1) Marshall 0700-1700
(2) Cutler 0830-1830
(3) Band 1230-2300.
Brkfst 0630-0730 Dinner 1200-1300 Tea 1800-1900.
Working out traffic circuit. Very little ammu. in. Lunch. Again quiet. Bulldozing top of lateral road. Rumoured Churchill visit + Smuts + Montgomery. 40mm box. Camp. Diary. Letter M. Depot. Further work for bulldozer - extension 155 mm & 25 pdr. lines. Tea. Bed reorganized by Leahy, Sullivan & Monk. Ammu. Dump. Stores Dump with Bob Calvert. Tea. Major Ratcliffe 14 OBD. One of our fighters down in Amm. depot just short of demolition stack. Pilot safe. Bad night - bombing and ack-ack all night.

13 June 1944

Amm. Dump 9am. Extension Anti-Tank line recce. Shift system being adopted by 15 OBD and OAC Ordnance Stores depot to draw Signs directional (25). Lunch. Placing signs directional with 15 cwt. Courseulles - Beach Gp HQ with Bob Calvert. Tea. Dump. Shelling beyond Stores Dump & wood SW of Billet Area! Handover DADOS h of c Terminal.

14 June 1944

Breakfast 6.30am! Dump by 7am with 1st shift. Bob Blackley 239 P. C. Section with Cobb. Camp. Leahy doing washing. Dump. Recce for extension of Depot West of main road with Mottershead. Lunch. Letter to M. Bed for a couple of hours, Tea 5.30. Amm Dump. With Ken in jeep. Through Réviers to Creully OO to DADOS Army Tps. Capt England late of Abinger. Back to billet. Bottle of champage (15/-), gin (10/-) & cider (1/-).

15 June 1944

Depot. Major Wright DCOO 17 BAD, Major Hibbard (Traffic), Major Stones (I.O.O) etc. Plans for opening no 3 Sub-Depot. Lunch. Jeep with Ken & Handy to Cresserons (HQ M. of C Terminal). On to Lion-sur-Mer 11 OBD - Capt Martin (Bob Morton's Railhead Coy). Major Butcher & SQMS Cash. 12 OBD - (Stores) Major Stidwell and "Dick" Rees of Swansea. Return via Douvres la Délivrande. Tea. 7pm. Conference called by Major Wright 17 BAD. 3 Sub Depots planned. Bob & I to look after no. 2. Camp. Depot until 11pm. Sketch a map of ammu. lines. Raiders over again tonight.

16 June 1944

Depot about 9am. Completed sketch map. Camp. Bob Calvert. Diary. Letter (4) to M. Lunch. 17 BAD. Major Wright DCOO & Major Hubbard. Plan of Depot. Brigadier Brown. Division of pioneer labour. Camp. Salad & eggs. Michael Burt "The Fast Young Lady".

17 June 1944

Issues only from no. 2 Sub Depot (15 & 9 OBD's) and receipt of R.E. ammu. 45 OAC opening no 3 Sub Depot under 17 BAD. 14 BAD tidying no 1 Sub Depot. Marking out Bays - 6 stacks x 15 tons with 50' between bays. Bk. on "Contract"[studying law]. DCOO Conference 8pm - 9pm - labour, lorries etc. "Stars in Battledress" party 8pm. Usual air-raid.

18 June 1944

Letter from M. Division of Field Artillery lines into bays - 15 planned. Bed in afternoon. BAD meeting 6pm-7.30pm. Depot - issues. Bridge - with Pat Mahler (15 OBD) v Ratcliffe (14 OBD) and Hugh Brown. Raiders over. bed 12.30pm. One stack 75mm on fire in dump. Raiders over. Over 10,000 tons on ground in 3 sub-depots.

19 June 1944

Soaking rain. Changed clothes. Depot. 2 & 3 tonners on maintenance. Col Hicks (BAD) etc, Major Butcher (11 OBD) on traffic. Camp. Finished "The Fast Young Lady". Diary. Letter (5) to M. and to Ma and Pa. 2 hrs in bed. Tea. Depot. Still raining, ground a quagmire in parts. With Bob Calvert to Petrol Depot. Hammond & Hall, 231 Pet. Depot. Capt Beckerley 8 Beach Group Pet. Dep. - re safety distance of ammunition.

20 June 1944 Rain stopped. Brkfst. Depot about 8.30. 4 lorries on internal work - moving back A/T and Tk. Ammu. from empty petrol cans. Lunch. Began stock taking 105mm and 25 pdr also AA (Sgt Band). Issue 25 pdr - 132 x 3 tonners. Bob C to mess. Jeep. Stores depot & ammu depot.

21 June 1944

No rain but cold and dull. Ammu. depot. Big issue 75 pdr - 4000 rds. but no labour at 8am. Secured labour by 9am. Gunners arrive to work. 48 x 3 tonners with Canadian labour for 105mm Fuze M48. 2 lorries on internal work - moving A/Tk ammu. Lunch. Tobacco - 2 tins -ex-Italy from Mr. & Mrs. H. [parents in law]. Diary. Sutton & Shannon on "Contracts". Depot. 53 x 3 tonners for 25 pdr. 12 lorries for internal movement! Maintenance - clearing up 25 pdr from 105mm lines. Camp. Shells passing over ammu. dump & landing on Bernières! Playing bridge with Brown v Ratcliffe & Mahler.

22 June 1944 Depot 8am. Big issues 25pdr & 155mm most of morning. Began stock-taking Tk. & A/Tk. lines. Col. Hicks and Major Wright - labour, etc. Lunch. Bed for a couple of hours. Sutton & Shannon. Tea. O Depot. Stock-taking completed 2 Sub-Depot. Letter 6 to M. Letter Beryl Welton. Whiskey & talk - interupted by raid.

23 June 1944

Depot soon after 8am. 25pdr now down to 1rd HE in 2 Sub-Depot. 3 lorries on maintenance with gunner labour in A/T and 7[?T]A areas. With Bob Calvert, etc adapting new 2-shift system, pooling checkers & arranging for manning of areas. MacFarlane DAQ MC.,.. Lunch. Depot. Maintenance. Fire-beaters & "Smoking Area" notices. BAD now responsible for DAS. "Mottie" & Capps to Bayeux. Letter from M. Tea. Bob Calvert up. Bridge - with Ratcliffe v Mahler & Brown. Lost 3 frames (@ a franc a hundred)

24 June 1944

2 shift system in preparation
Depot late. Gunners taken by BAD. 4 lorries for internal work. NCOS i/e areas. Decided to move office into sub-depot. Lunch. 2 letters from M. and "New Statesman". Depot. Office with Bob C. Stores - RSD in search of beaters for fire points. Planning AA bays. Letter (7) to M. Conference BAD - 7pm. Wright, Butcher (ex 11 OBD), Bob C., Fielden etc. Labour issue policy etc. Camp 8pm. Finished letter to M.

25 June 1944

Depot 8am. no checkers, no labour, 4 lorries for maintenance! 2 sections gunners (@ 20 men) due 0800-1800 and 2 sections 1200-2200. 0830 - 4 men; 0845 - 6 men; 0900 - 2 men (4 men of no 5 Sect still unaccounted for); 0930 - 18 men (no 3 Sect). Relief Sections on no 3 Sub Depot 1030 hrs. No Labour 2 Sub Depot 1200-1300 or after 1700 (nos 3 & 5 Section reported no 3 Sub-Depot - 0700!). Total labour available - 2 PC Coys (2x240); Inf 90; Gunners 100. Morning - recce of areas with Bob. Talk with Frenchman. Afternoon - RAF offr recce. Bed 1.30-5. "Weekend Woodehouse". Depot. Labour enquiry. Camp. Diary. Letter to Ma & Pa. Heavy barrage overnight.

26 June 1944

Receiving 25pdr & 106mm. [?] Sgt Gregory & 5 men to 17 AOD - extracting Controlled Stores from Landing Reserves. "Mottie" to Depot 8am - shift late, working one hour extra! Depot 9 am. Sorting labour & arranging internal work. Raining. Lunch. In Jeep with Mottie to Nan Green Beach. Fred Northam & Malcolm Ross 29 REME 239 offrs. Macfarlane, etc. St. Aubin - onions, lettuce, sausages, butter, etc. Langrune-sur-Mer picking strawberries. 82 DID - "Spike" Green, Charles & Byrne. High tea. Depot. BAD - re Labour Pool. Letter (8) to M. Sutton & Shannon.

27 June 1944

Up 7.30am. Depot. Only Night Shift - NCO & 4 plus Sgt Brown & S/Sgt Marshall. 20 "Ducks" held up. Lt Col Hicks BAD orders Bob C to take down a pip! Position eases with arrival of checkers. Later, bulldozing new paths with Bob. Rain. Lunch. Depot again. Office. 155mm issue. 25pdr & 105mm & Hy & Med Arty rolling in. Tea. BAD - COO addresses Depot officers 1800! DCOO re internal working. 8pm tea. Depot. Big receipts until after 22.30 hrs. Morning shift 0700 warned. Diary to date. Mottershead night duty.

28 June 1944

Up 6.30am. Labour not available. Now 2 shifts of checkers 0700-1700 and 1300-2300. NCO's in working areas only. With Bob C bull-dozing extension B Group. Lunch. Depot. Camp. "Bob" Morton - Ord. Maintenance Coy. Tales of Robinson COO 15 BAD and violently anti-OBD. Bed for a couple of hours. Long talk with "Jack" Wright DCOO. Tonnage record for Beach Groups (over 5000 tons) broken. Night Duty. Slept in office tent. DAS - return special items [&?] cash.

29 June 1944

Up 6.30am. Receipts begin early. Back to breakfast. Bed all morning. Big receipts (over 1,500 tons 25pdr & 105mm) and big issues BL and 25pdr. Depot most of afternoon and evening. Raining heavily. 7[?T] A lines almost full. Tobacco from M. On Depot until 1am. Did 8 lorry 25 pdr issue alone & cleared last receipt (mixed) 12.45am.

30 June 1944

Up late. Depot about 9am, Changed suit, Canadian battledress wet. Big issues most of day - chiefly 25pdr. Recpts - BL and Infy. Bulldozing with Bob beyond Med & Heavy Arty lines. Lunch. Depot. "Torque"[Torquemada Cryptic Crossword]. Quiet except for 25pdr & BL. Tea. Depot again, Bob C. Issues. Supper 8.30. Bob C. up[?]. Diary to date. Letter (9) to M. DH Lawrence "The Woman Who Rode Away" (short stories) - "Two Blue Birds", "Sun". 8,000 tons "turnover" no 2 Sub-Depot within last 3 days!

Notes: D-Day Planning etc:

Beach Ordnance Detachments (OBD) & Ordnance Ammunition Companies (OAC) comprised of:
Juno Sector (102 Beach Sub Area) - 9, 14 & 15 OBD with 45 OAC split between them,..

Ordnance Dumps
14 and 15 Ordnance Beach Depots, with the assistance of 45 Ordnance Ammunition Company, combined to form one ammunition dump and one Ordnance Stores Dump. The Officer Commanding 14 Ordnance Beach Depot was in charge of the combined Ordnance Stores Dump with the stores officers from both 14 and 15 Ordnance Beach Depots. The Officer Commanding 15 Ordnance Beach Depot was in charge of the combined Ammunition Dump with the Ammunition Officers from both 14 and 15 Ordnance Beach Depots plus 45 Ordnance Ammunition Company. Officer Commanding 14 Ordnance Beach Depot was in overall command.
Reconnaissance parties of one officer and an orderly from each of 14 and 15 Ordnance Beach Detachments were to land at different points. They reconnoitred the sites and if they were suitable planned the layout. It was planned that the site would be ready to receive stores by 1800 hours on D Day and begin issues by first light on D+1. The Depot was organized to hold 2500 tons of ammunition and 500 tons of ordnance stores, with space to expand and double in size if required. Both dumps came under the direct control of 102 Beach Sub Area as soon as they were established.
The main body of 15 Ordnance Beach Depot landed on D Day with 14 Ordnance Beach Depot following on D+1. 45 Ordnance Ammunition Company landed on D Day. Initially maintenance was provided from Landing reserves which were scaled for each formation. AVRE, Flail and AA units had special Technical Landing Reserves. From D+10 maintenance changed to Beach Maintenance Packs which were landed as required.